Saturday, November 21, 2009

There are two types of sequels. The first, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter, keeps the gang together. In movies, I like that sequel. In food, not so much. No, I like to play with combinations, substituting one or two or even three ingredients within the same theme.

Last week, it was Franks, Beans and Greens. Pork, beans, and greens are a classic winter combination. Frost sweetened greens paired with rich beans simmered in stock enriched with pork. It's a warming and winning alliance of ingredients. Tonight, a variation on this.

Last weekend, I'd made a beautiful Faith's Farm Pork Roast, enormous, meaty, and bone-in. We turned the extra chops into schnitzel, soon to make its appearance here. Early this week, the bone covered with water, mixed with celery, carrot, and onion, paired with parsley, bay and thyme became broth. A few days later, I soaked and simmered beautiful black and white beans from Spring Valley Produce called Ying Yang. Tonight I partnered these two with some of the best and freshest mustard greens, I've ever tasted that we sampled earlier this morning from Growing Power.

Together this became Pork, Mustard and Bean Soup. Simmered together with a bit of salt and a shake of cider vinegar, it was a satisfying Saturday night supper. And, yes, yet again, we fished out the greens for our son who ate the decidedly non-local cucumbers.